Farm Africa, founded in 1985, is an international non-governmental organization working in Ethiopia since 1988. Farm Africa works to end hunger and bring prosperity to rural Africa. We believe Africa has the power to feed itself and are helping make this happen by establishing and spreading the best farming and forestry techniques so that poor farmers and herders have more food to feed their families and to sell. We help smallholders manage their natural resources sustainably so that they can withstand climate change challenges and shocks and ensure their families have enough food in the future as well as now. Farm Africa works in partnership with communities, government, local and international organizations, and the private sector to innovate, learn and share best practices for maximum impact of our projects.
PROJECT: Integrated approach to improving rural livelihoods, empowering communities and partners
REPORTS TO: SIDA Programme Manager (PM)
STAFF REPORTING TO POSTHOLDER: Community development officers, Project finance & admin officer
DURATION & HOURS: Three years with probation period of 3 months
BACKGROUND
Farm Africa will be implementing a project titled ‘Integrated approach to improve rural livelihoods, empowering communities and partners programme’ which is funded by SIDA (The Swedish International Development Agency). This project will be implemented by Farm Africa and the Union of Ethiopian Women Charitable Associations (UEWCA).
The overall goal of the programme is to contribute to achievement of the Ethiopia's Growth and Transformation Plan II (GTPII) through agriculture business development, capacity building in project implementation and delivery, civil society strengthening and embedding climate smart practices in identified development interventions. This overarching programme is divided into three key projects:
Project 1: Delivery of institutional capacity building services to local institutions and partners contributing to Ethiopia’s GTPII. This will involve the development and delivery of bespoke training packages for institutional development for government institutions and civil society organisations.
Project 2: Close collaboration, capacity building and technical support to the project partner UEWCA (Union of Ethiopian Women’s Charitable Association) in natural resource management and climate resilience. The project will support the organisation to build its member associations ability to support women to increase their socioeconomic resilience and integration.
Project 3: The cultivation of climate-smart focused agricultural value chains to empower smallholder famers in SNNPR. This project will be delivered directly by a Farm Africa team under the Programme Manager and will work with several producer cooperatives and farmers.
The programme will operate in Tigray, Afar, Amhara, Oromia, SNNPRS, Somali and Beneshangul Gumuz Regional states and Addis Ababa City Administration.
Farm Africa will take a lead role for the programme implementation, quality assurance, technical backstopping, monitoring and evaluation, partner management and donor reporting.
PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
The Project Coordinator (PC) will be responsible for leading the overall implementation of Project 3, that is, to cultivate climate-smart focused agricultural value chains and agribusinesses to empower small holder famers in SNNPR.
The PC will be undertaking project management, planning, implementation; playing leading role in internal and external project reporting, financial management, partners’ engagement, monitoring and evaluation of the project activities, outputs and impacts. Responsibilities involve ensuring that the project activities are integrated effectively, and that all project relevant stakeholders at all levels are fully engaged. Key duties and responsibilities are outlined below.
KEY TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Successfully manage the implementation of the project in accordance with the project’s agreed objectives, work plans and budgets
Project planning:
In consultation with the Programme Manager and local partners, review and prepare the project’s work plan and budget during the annual planning process.
Manage monthly, quarterly and annual work plans for project logistics and activities, identifying and responding to the implications of interdependencies between different sub-project work stream activities.
Project delivery, implementation and internal reporting:
Ensure that project activities are implemented and outputs achieved as planned and within the agreed budget, including the development of robust value chains for spices and chickpeas.
Review progress regularly, submitting quarterly internal progress review reports outlining progress, issues and actions being taken in the standard format.
Participate in quarterly internal project progress review sessions including: in-depth review of financial spend/burn rate; achievement against activity and output plan, and a forward look on whether the project is achieving against its objectives, indicators and beneficiaries.
Proactively identify and monitor any risks to non-delivery and, where required, develop and implement action plans to address issues identified;
Ensure the timely submission of narrative and financial reports to the donor as per the reporting requirements indicated in financing agreement
Financial management and governance:
Manage the project within the agreed budget
Undertake re-forecasts, where required, to reflect changing financial context (e.g., inflation, exchange rates) and the project’s activity
Identify and analyse the causes of spend variances to the budget and take action as needed
Implement internal project financial controls, ensuring that financial management in the project field office is in compliance with and exceeds the basic standards contained in the Farm Africa finance procedures manual.
Review budget monitoring reports, and provide timely explanations and corrective actions for any significant variances
Ensure that all procurement of goods and services follow the donor financial requirements.
Ensure compliance of the project to the Charities and Societies Agency’s 30:70 directives.
Work with the PM to monitor financial risks, developing and implementing mitigation actions as needed
Monitoring and evaluation of the project’s outcomes and impact
Working with the programme’s MEL manager and Farm Africa’s Head of Impact and other stakeholders, develop and implement a project monitoring and evaluation process that meets the basic internal and donor monitoring and outcome reporting requirements.
Work closely with partner organisations to contribute to lessons learned, ensure dissemination and maintain dialogue on key project findings
Ensure that project’s log-frame and data collection plans are regularly reviewed and refreshed, and the project is collecting the breadth of indicators required at a frequency and timing in line with reporting purposes
Lead the project’s annual self-assessment process ensuring that necessary evidence is collected and all staff are actively involved in the process
Ensure that the project is regularly (at least quarterly) conducting beneficiary surveys, collecting other data through relevant sources , developing case studies and collating photos
Oversee baseline, mid-term, final evaluation and other external evaluations, ensuring that learning and recommendations from those evaluations are explicitly incorporated into the project’s future implementation activity
Line manage the project staff
In liaison with partners and the PM, lead on the recruitment of new staff to the project team.
Hold (at least) monthly staff meetings and send minutes and key action points to the relevant stakeholders
Provide leadership and motivation to all project staff, building values-based team working and individual staff skills relevant to the project.
Regularly provide both informal and formal coaching and feedback to all project staff
Effectively and promptly deal with any poor performance and actively recognise and encourage strong performance
Actively seek feedback on own performance and effectiveness from both country leadership as well as own project staff.
Hold in-person supervision sessions with all line-managed staff at least once per quarter (to discuss progress against their personal development objectives and work targets) and carry out in-person annual appraisals with all line-managed staff
Internal and external stakeholder management including local government, as well as donor
Conduct joint progress review and planning meetings with relevant programme staff and local partners: set agenda, take minutes, ensure all partners are up to date and inputs are translated to project implementation;
Participate in internal Farm Africa learning and review sessions to assess any adjustments needed to the project implementation plans and budget allocations
Ensure timely narrative and financial reporting is secured, in good time for submission to the donor
Proactively identify and raise with the PM (and others as appropriate) any delivery risks related to implementation partners, and work with partner staff to implement action plans to resolve identified issues
Proactively identify any required changes to donor-agreed workplans, objectives and/or budgets, working with the PM to agree and implement any necessary contract revisions or renegotiations
Ensure compliance with donor procurement and other contractual requirements
Provide formal representation of the project with respect to key signatory government parties, and ensure periodic reports are submitted to them on a timely basis.
Ensure that the project is represented at relevant Zonal, Regional and (where relevant) Federal level government meetings and forums
Act as an ambassador, promoting the project, including hosting visitors, speaking at workshops and conferences, and meeting donors and other officials when required.
Play an active role as a member of the Farm Africa Country team
Contribute to the development and implementation of Farm Africa’s strategy
Identify and explore opportunities to grow and expand the country project pipeline, both in relation to the current project (e.g., potential scale-up opportunities to take existing work to meso- or macro-level, replication in other geographies/regions) or related to new project opportunities
Work, where appropriate, with the Country Director and the UK Programme Funding Unit to prepare funding proposals where requested, ensuring that any lessons learned during implementation are documented and built into future project design
Participate in country-level or pan-Farm Africa programme meetings with other project coordinators, as requested by the Country Director or PM.
Job Requirement
Education, Qualifications & other knowledge
MSc qualification or equivalent in either of the following fields: agri-economics, agriculture, business, agricultural business, international development, rural development, or any other relevant discipline.
A diploma or degree in project management.
Knowledge of climate smart agri-value chain development
Good understanding and firm belief in gender equality and issues in rural communities
Demonstrated professional and personal attitude towards gender equality
Experience
A minimum of 5 years of progressive and relevant experience as a senior project manager in an NGO evidencing knowledge and understanding of project strategy, design, implementation, monitoring and reporting.
Proven track record of establishing and building strong and effective relationships with partners, donors, government and private sector organizations
Hands on experience in agri-value chain development
Experience in developing spices and chickpea value chains
Experience in developing, implementing and reviewing participatory planning, monitoring and evaluation processes. Demonstrated ability to incorporate results of these activities into project design and implementation.
Experience in managing M&E studies
Demonstrated independent and proactive attitude towards project management
Experience working in the SNNPR
A deep understanding of participatory community-based project approaches, gender mainstreaming in development and economic opportunities.
Demonstrable experience in facilitating farmers to access profitable markets
Experience in financial management, including the ability to develop, read and manage budgets; and rapidly spot potential issues and solutions
Skills & Abilities
Excellent skills in project management with the ability to develop and translate plans into cost-effective operations and activities, in line with identified and available resources and budgets, and donor and other conditions
Demonstrated leadership, line management and team building experience - including appraisal and managing under-performance.
Proven experience in stimulating successful delivery of the project by all team members as well as staff development, creating open and collaborative team environments that encourages the contributions of the whole team
Experience in combining coaching with effective and insightful feedback on strengths, development areas and ways to grow
Strong ability to identify problems and solve complex issue strategically.
Proven experience and ability in co-ordination, management and negotiation within partners and other stakeholders (government and donors)
Excellent network and excellent relationship with government partners
Excellent information management, networking and communication skills
Other skills
Good knowledge of Windows including Outlook, Excel, and Power Point
Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills with the ability to work with Government, donor and Private Sector stakeholders
Experience in managing SIDA funded programmes
Excellent record of writing including briefs, project reports, communication and dissemination materials
Fluent written and spoken Amharic and English
Ability to speak Halabigna, Wolaitigna, and/or Kembetigna
Ability and willingness to travel widely and frequently to rural areas.
VALUES
Farm Africa seeks to employ those who believe, as we do, that farmers can and will play a key role in achieving long-term rural prosperity in Africa and who seek to deliver on those beliefs by:
Being experts in our field, delivering insightful/impactful evidence-based solutions
Pushing boundaries, being creative with new and old solutions
Acting for the long-term, building relationships and delivering long-lasting change for farmers
Working flexibly, taking advantage of the most effective solutions, whether from the communities, private sector or government
Sharing knowledge with others, reaching more farmers than we do alone, ensuring effective technologies are widely accessed.